Ways to Work With Us

Whether you are an attorney, financial planner, or tax advisor, the Vermont Community Foundation can assist you and your clients in structuring tax-wise gifts that establish an enduring community legacy. We add our expertise to yours to ensure that your client makes educated decisions while selecting from a full spectrum of options.

Why Work With Us

Our public charity status provides maximum tax advantages under state and federal law, and we accept a wide variety of assets and can facilitate even the most complex forms of giving. 

There are many advantages to partnering with us and in most cases our annual fee is more affordable than the costs of a private foundation. One fee covers all of our services.

  • Deep Knowledge and Understanding of Vermont
  • Trusted Fiduciary Partner
  • Philanthropic and Civic Leadership
    • We research and track community trends across Vermont. We work with partners throughout Vermont, so we have a big-picture view of the work in our communities.
    • We identify and target gaps. We highlight places where philanthropy has an opportunity to make a big difference in improving the lives of our communities.
    • We vet and recommend grantees. We have staff expertise across almost any issue area you might be interested in. All told, the funds we manage grant out over $30 million a year, throughout Vermont and beyond. Regardless of the subject matter, there’s a philanthropic advisor on our staff who can help expand your portfolio of organizations to give to.
    • You’ll know what your gift accomplished. With many of the grants that flow through us – and especially the grants associated with programs we manage – we have the ability to report back to you how that money was used and what actually changed in the community as a result.
    • Our staff manages everything from basic to complex structures. Whether you want a basic donor advised fund that is used like a charitable checking account or a family foundation that has its own board of directors and competitive grant rounds, we have the technical expertise to take care of all the details. We also have an online donor portal that allows you to find organizations, and make a grant anytime with just a few clicks. We take care of all the rest, from cutting the check to notifying the grantee to making sure any paperwork is filed with the IRS. Whatever you choose, we make it easy for you, so you can concentrate on what matters most – your giving.
    • You love Vermont and you love being part of something bigger. We’re viewed as a leader in the state in promoting philanthropy, pulling people together to move work forward, and efficiently and effectively meeting urgent needs. When you join the Community Foundation, you become part of something bigger than any one individual – you join a family of people who care deeply about Vermont and are committed to doing great things together for their community.